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I'm so doing this!!!! It will probably make me paranoid the entire time I'm there, but it will be so worth it!!!I will be ordering the Kits as soon as I tell the people I'm going with! If I order the kits all together is it possible to make sure no one in the group has the other one to kill?

If I order the kits all together is it possible to make sure no one in the group has the other one to kill?

We'll do our best to make sure you're not specifically targeting your friends but it's possible one of you might be targeting another. In those situations you'rr free to attack or not attack as you see fit.

So what's up with the factions? Just a fun idea to be in a guild with a few others or does it have game play aspects too? like, can't kill within your guild? guild with the most players left standing wins? or in fighting is okay until the last assassin is standing?

So what's up with the factions? Just a fun idea to be in a guild with a few others or does it have game play aspects too? like, can't kill within your guild? guild with the most players left standing wins? or in fighting is okay until the last assassin is standing?

Great question! Factions are definitely meant to be a fun way of grouping people together but their inclusion also changes how you'll view your potential targets since now not only will you be looking for a specific shape/color combination but also a specific faction. For the purposes of simply finding a generic target you only need to find someone whose shape matches the one on your Mission Card but the more specifically your target matches the information for your mission the more points you'll receive.

We've played around with the points system to make this more of a strategic choice as well. Generic targets (Targets where only the shape matches your Mission Card) are worth 100 points, whereas Specific targets (Targets where both the shape and color OR shape and faction matches your Mission Card) are worth 250 points and finally Very Specific targets (Targets where shape, color and faction matches your Mission Card) are worth a whopping 500 points.

We're also playing around with a fourth type of targets: VIPs. This is something that's still very much in the design phase so I dont have lots of details but I can say they will hard to find (read as unique) and will be worth a lot of points.

You can read more about how factions work with examples in our draft rules release, found here. As for faction in-fighting not only is it allowed but we encourage it!

We've played around with the points system to make this more of a strategic choice as well. Generic targets (Targets where only the shape matches your Mission Card) are worth 100 points, whereas Specific targets (Targets where both the shape and color OR shape and faction matches your Mission Card) are worth 250 points and finally Very Specific targets (Targets where shape, color and faction matches your Mission Card) are worth a whopping 500 points.

This is the first time I'm doing this, so forgive my ignorance...

But if we assassinate someone based only on their shape (Generic kill), that means we are potentially taking away someone else's Very Specific kill, right? So at some point, if you can't find the person you're looking for, you're just going to have to go more generic?

We've played around with the points system to make this more of a strategic choice as well. Generic targets (Targets where only the shape matches your Mission Card) are worth 100 points, whereas Specific targets (Targets where both the shape and color OR shape and faction matches your Mission Card) are worth 250 points and finally Very Specific targets (Targets where shape, color and faction matches your Mission Card) are worth a whopping 500 points.

This is the first time I'm doing this, so forgive my ignorance...

But if we assassinate someone based only on their shape (Generic kill), that means we are potentially taking away someone else's Very Specific kill, right? So at some point, if you can't find the person you're looking for, you're just going to have to go more generic?

Definitely! If you've spotted a generic target and can't seem to locate any more specific targets after a while then it would definitely be best to eliminate the generic target and get a new Mission Card that might be easier to specifically fulfill.

I would imagine that towards the end of the convention there will be more generic kills for this reason.

So with my first mission card, how many potential targets would a player have? i was thinking it was a 1 to 1 thing.

also, killing with in a faction seems likey, as a robot kills a zombie whose target was a robot. so now my target is someone in the guild. how would that play out?

i imagine it would then be your choice whether you want to turn on your faction or go for a less specific target. you're never obligated to kill anyone in particular. create alliances! be a double agent! get creative!

So with my first mission card, how many potential targets would a player have? i was thinking it was a 1 to 1 thing.

also, killing with in a faction seems likey, as a robot kills a zombie whose target was a robot. so now my target is someone in the guild. how would that play out?

It's definitely not a 1 to 1 mapping of mission to target. Due to the massive number of people at PAX it would be almost impossible to find someone like that so there are multiple repeats of the color/shape combinations.

As for how many possible generic targets you'll have will depend on the number of people playing and will decrease as the game progresses. The initial estimate for materials is for 120 people so going off of that estimate there would be around 15 generic targets and 5 specific targets for any particular shape when the game starts. Note this is not counting targets where the shape and faction match or where shape, color and faction match; just where shape or shape and color match. It also does not take into account the fact that we are adding multiple colors to some of the Mission Cards which would increase the possibility of finding a specific target.

That's the quick answer. What follows is the longer answer that details how I came up with that number. The Assassins system works by defining a number of colors and a number of shapes for each game. In the past we've predominantly used 3 colors (Cyan, Magenta and Yellow) and 7 shapes but for this game we're changing that to be 4 colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Orange) and 6 shapes.

The system takes the colors and shapes for a game and generates all the possible permutations of them as Badges. In the case for Assassins Ball that's 24 Badges, each one with a unique symbol on them. Within these 24 badges there are already 3 generic targets and 1 specific target for any particular shape and color. The information for these badges is grouped into what we call a Lot and to scale to meet the population playing we can generate multiple Lots per game. With an estimate of 120 people we're looking at 5 Lots generated which equates to 5 Lots x 3 generic targets per Lot or 15 generic targets and 5 Lots x 1 specific target per Lot or 5 specific targets.

Killing in a faction is more than likely, it will definitely happen at some point. My comment earlier might not have been clear about this but there are no rules against attacking players from your own faction.

This sounds so amazing. Is there a deadline I have to join by? Or can I hold out and see what the final two factions are?

thats what i'm doing too.

Kits will be shipped about two weeks before PAX so in order to get your kit shipped you'll need to order by then but there's plenty of time until then. After that ordering will be open for pick-up at the convention but there's always issues in finding people and sometimes we have to issue refunds if we cant get you your kit in time.

I think there's a few people waiting for the last two factions as well. My goal is to get the fourth faction done next week with the last one the week afterwards at the latest. I'm going to be looking into the suggestions revolving around cowboys, gunslingers and mystic/magical settings for the fourth faction.

Killing in a faction is more than likely, it will definitely happen at some point. My comment earlier might not have been clear about this but there are no rules against attacking players from your own faction.

will this have any adverse effect? carrying a heretic label or something? i'm probably over thinking all of this.

Killing in a faction is more than likely, it will definitely happen at some point. My comment earlier might not have been clear about this but there are no rules against attacking players from your own faction.

will this have any adverse effect? carrying a heretic label or something? i'm probably over thinking all of this.

There won't be any adverse effects for this game though that's an interesting suggestion for the future. We've considered doing something similar where players who have high scores basically get bounties on their heads but we don't want to flood the game with new mechanics at one time.

With the leaderboards it would be easy to see who killed who though, so there's always the chance someone might come after you seeking revenge for their dead friend. I can't imagine us ever limiting you from killing another player regardless of affiliation or faction in future games but we may make it easier for others of your faction to find a rogue assassin who goes on a killing spree.

alright. i hope all these questions aren't coming across wrong. i know tossing in new mechanics and stuff would just be too much at once. i'm just interested in this concept and i'm sure after playing i'd have a better idea of what's up.

i was thinking about two things.
1. can a dead player still participate in some manner? maybe not kill their targets, but mark them or modify their card to become a target to more players.
2. perhaps, when you are forced to kill someone within the faction, that player can use a card with another random target on it and persuade you to go after them instead. i don't know. just mulling this all over.

alright. i hope all these questions aren't coming across wrong. i know tossing in new mechanics and stuff would just be too much at once. i'm just interested in this concept and i'm sure after playing i'd have a better idea of what's up.

i was thinking about two things.
1. can a dead player still participate in some manner? maybe not kill their targets, but mark them or modify their card to become a target to more players.
2. perhaps, when you are forced to kill someone within the faction, that player can use a card with another random target on it and persuade you to go after them instead. i don't know. just mulling this all over.

you're never forced to kill someone within your faction (or anyone, really); there are always options. i think some of these things can be more simply addressed via roleplay rather than working it into game mechanics. like rather than passing off an alternate target card, you could try to dissuade a member of your faction from killing you by regaling them with tales of all the time you spent training together and appealing to their sense of brotherhood and loyalty.

you're never forced to kill someone within your faction (or anyone, really); there are always options. i think some of these things can be more simply addressed via roleplay rather than working it into game mechanics. like rather than passing off an alternate target card, you could try to dissuade a member of your faction from killing you by regaling them with tales of all the time you spent training together and appealing to their sense of brotherhood and loyalty.

Noooo.. those chatty deaths in Assassin't Creed were the WORST.. if you're about to get eliminated, the best you can do is say as little as possible.. your fellows will thank you later...

alright. i hope all these questions aren't coming across wrong. i know tossing in new mechanics and stuff would just be too much at once. i'm just interested in this concept and i'm sure after playing i'd have a better idea of what's up.

i was thinking about two things.
1. can a dead player still participate in some manner? maybe not kill their targets, but mark them or modify their card to become a target to more players.
2. perhaps, when you are forced to kill someone within the faction, that player can use a card with another random target on it and persuade you to go after them instead. i don't know. just mulling this all over.

you're never forced to kill someone within your faction (or anyone, really); there are always options. i think some of these things can be more simply addressed via roleplay rather than working it into game mechanics. like rather than passing off an alternate target card, you could try to dissuade a member of your faction from killing you by regaling them with tales of all the time you spent training together and appealing to their sense of brotherhood and loyalty.

This is a good example of a player solution to any issues of in-faction assassinations, just keep in mind that some players may not be in the roleplaying mindset or against attacking players in their own faction. Also, keep asking questions if you've got them! I'd much rather answer a question now than find out later someone had a bad experience playing because of any confusion over the rules.

In answer to your question about assassinated players still being able to participate we have in the past used a system where players can record and register the 5-letter badge code of any player for 1/10 of the point total of Generic Kill (1 point in past games, 10 points if we enact it for Assassins Ball). It's still up in the air on whether this system will be in Assassins Ball which is why the current draft rules do not mention it. Only a few people have stated one way or the other but if there isn't a string majority we'll be keeping it in for those people who still want to use it.

But with that said, are the kills only acceptable within the convention halls? I should really just thoroughly read the rules instead of skimming haha

Effectively yes, kills are only possible in the convention center. You are required to wear your badge in the convention center, even in safe zones, but can take it off when you leave for food or for the day. Safe zones are areas inside the convention center where you cannot be assassinated. These currently are:

Keynotes and Panels

Concerts

BYOC and Console/PC Freeplay Areas

Hotel Rooms

Convention Tournaments

Bathrooms

Queue Room

Basically we've tried to list anywhere you might be that's private, requires focus or concentration or where you want to relax. With all that being said it's the responsibility of every player to know the rules, so if you are assassinated in a safe zone or outside the convention center and hand over your Death Card, you're dead. This has happened at least once that I know of where neither party knew they were in a safe zone until later.

This is one of two things we feel you need to be clear on ruleswise. The other is making sure that your possible assassin actually has you as their target or that your possible target really is a target listed on your Mission Card. In the same vein as above, if you hand over your Death Card to someone who does not have you as a target you're still dead, it's just your assassin will not be able to register the kill on the site to get points for it since its not a match.

so what places are safe? roaming the convention and waiting on lines seems like the big ones. where else can i get the kill?

also, will there be a negative consequence for making an incorrect or inappropriately timed assassination? or will it the be the role of the intended victim to correct the would be assassin, and send them on their way?

so what places are safe? roaming the convention and waiting on lines seems like the big ones. where else can i get the kill?

also, will there be a negative consequence for making an incorrect or inappropriately timed assassination? or will it the be the role of the intended victim to correct the would be assassin, and send them on their way?

If your just walking around or in a line waiting you're fair game for anyone. There's no built in negative consequences but keep in mind that if you walk up to someone and incorrectly target them you may be effectively introducing yourself to someone who has your target. It's very important that if someone attempts an assassination on you that you verify they have you as a target by checking their Mission Card for the matching shape.

hehe I love how you said "requires focus or concentration or where you want to relax" and listed Bathroom as a safe zone!

Is there a safe word or something like you see someone coming up to you to "assassinate" you. Can you stop them? So like here you are, you know who is after you and are running away or would it be, once they spot you and claim you as a target, that's it?

Is there a safe word or something like you see someone coming up to you to "assassinate" you. Can you stop them? So like here you are, you know who is after you and are running away or would it be, once they spot you and claim you as a target, that's it?

There's nothing like a safe word or any way in the rules to escape assassination once someones in front of you. Similar to some posts above, feel free to roleplay or reason with them just don't drag things out.

Also please do not literally run in the convention center. Unless its a friend that's after you (I'm looking at you Victoryoftheppl and rubykavalier) it's going to be difficult to determine if someones tracking you or spotted you. If you do spot someone though and can get away without running or throwing coins everywhere then feel free to make your escape.

Also please do not literally run in the convention center. Unless its a friend that's after you (I'm looking at you Victoryoftheppl and rubykavalier) it's going to be difficult to determine if someones tracking you or spotted you. If you do spot someone though and can get away without running or throwing coins everywhere then feel free to make your escape.

But does this mean that we can hire a group of courtesans as distractions to aid in our escape? What is your ruling on conveniently-placed haystacks?

Also please do not literally run in the convention center. Unless its a friend that's after you (I'm looking at you Victoryoftheppl and rubykavalier) it's going to be difficult to determine if someones tracking you or spotted you. If you do spot someone though and can get away without running or throwing coins everywhere then feel free to make your escape.

But does this mean that we can hire a group of courtesans as distractions to aid in our escape? What is your ruling on conveniently-placed haystacks?

I should mention @dyaballikl can be assassinated at any time by anyone.

damnit

He's also worth double points... Okay, not really. Are there any other enforcers playing that you know of? I'm all about getting groups in this year, the PMS and H20 clans are enthusiatically recruiting this year and I'm looking to doing a bit of branding for their badges, figured if there were more enforcers I could give you guys the [E] treatment on yours.

I should mention @dyaballikl can be assassinated at any time by anyone.

damnit

He's also worth double points... Okay, not really. Are there any other enforcers playing that you know of? I'm all about getting groups in this year, the PMS and H20 clans are enthusiatically recruiting this year and I'm looking to doing a bit of branding for their badges, figured if there were more enforcers I could give you guys the [E] treatment on yours.

Also for Faction Five, who's down for Sparkly Death Unicorns?

I think if we had custom badges, we'd bow down. The PMS¦H2O Clan are super for this and into this and I'm one of the Marketing Managers so i will def get this game added into plans for pax!

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